Melanie Walker
Melanie Walker, otherwise known as the criminal Ten, was the daughter of the leaders of the Royal Flush Gang. History A Change of Heart Melanie was initiated into her life of crime at an early age; because her family was "uprooted every few weeks", her social life suffered, and she never had a chance to make permanent friends. She eventually grew weary of her lifestyle, becoming the only malcontent member of the gang. Ten played a vital role in the team, as she was in charge of overriding the security systems of the places they robbed. However, she was notably less ruthless than her father. bond.]] On her first night in Gotham City, Melanie went to Juice Bar, but didn't go in because she didn't know anybody. She observed Terry McGinnis and Dana Tan's spat from outside; when he left the bar, she approached him, and the two bonded. While Terry complained about his undisclosed "after-school" job with Bruce Wayne, Melanie noted how tiresome her itinerant life was. She also observed a parallel between herself and Terry, and expressed her infatuation by planting a kiss on his lips. However, Terry wasn't too eager to go so fast, so the two arranged a date on the next night, at the same place. Much to her chagrin, the Royal Flush Gang had planned to rob a museum that night. Therefore, Ten wasn't completely focused on her task, which translated into her not disabling the alarm system properly. Shortly after they broke in, they were surprised by armed security guards. The Gang tried to fight their way out, but they were intercepted by Batman. Unaware of his real identity, Ten tackled him, proving to be a capable combatant, but she was eventually overpowered by Batman's superior strength. The Gang managed to flee by holding a guard hostage. Unlike her relatives, Melanie was not merciless. While being followed by Batman, King ordered Jack to drop the hostage, which Ten instinctively contested; albeit the plea fell on deaf ears, and King warned her never to oppose him again. Later that night, Melanie went to the rendezvous point — nearly one hour later — and she found Terry arriving seconds before she did. The two went for a walk until the break of dawn, and Melanie expressed her concern for the possibility of moving again very soon. The two agreed to meet again on the next night at the same time. Back at her place, Melanie was reprimanded by King for her lack of focus on the job. In return, she accused her father of the same thing, stating that his obsession with Batman would be their downfall. Melanie was ready to leave the house — and likely the Gang — for Terry, had her mother not interceded. In the end, she was convinced to stay with her family, despite her heart's desire. Melanie then phoned Terry and told him she could never see him. When the Gang returned from a job, Batman took them out one by one, until only Ten and King were left standing. Now aware of her identity, Batman hesitated in engaging Ten, which King took to his advantage. Later on, when she had the chance to flee, Ten chose to help her father, but was shot down by a policeman. Batman saved her from certain death and handed her over to the authorities. While she was being taken in, Melanie took a glance at Terry, who was watching from afar. She looked genuinely remorseful and, most of all, embarrassed for being exposed to him. At this scene, Wayne arrives and Terry admits his mentor was right about his concerns about their relationship. However, when Terry asks Wayne if he ever faced this situation, Wayne good-naturedly tells his protege about his relationship with Selina Kyle. The Derby Scam Some time later, Ten returned to her life of crime, but for a reason other than greed. Her family had been abducted by the Jokerz and the ransom note told her to steal from the Derby. Ten broke into the high stakes gangster game, and snatched everything she could. When trying to escape, Ten was intercepted by Batman returning the plunder to the gangsters. She eluded capture, but fled empty-handed. On the next morning, Melanie broke into Terry's apartment. She apologized for dumping him over her family, and asked for shelter till dusk. She assured him she was no longer a criminal, and told him all about the abduction and ransom. The two stayed together until sundown, at which time, Melanie took off and headed to the Derby again. However, this time Batman intercepted her before she moved in. Batman didn't want her to resort to stealing to save her family, so he escorted her to the Jokerz hideaway where the Royal Flush Gang was supposedly being held. Ten had thought about breaking in, but was deterred by the battalion of Jokerz. Before moving in, Ten handed Batman a note for Terry, in case something happened to her. Ten and Batman advanced, but when he was occupied fighting off a horde of Jokerz, Ten retreated and went back to the Derby. This time, she effectively pillaged the poker game, and went to an abandoned warehouse to deliver the loot. However, much to her surprise, Ten was greeted by King and Queen explaining that the abduction was a ruse orchestrated to test her loyalty. Ten was outraged for being tricked into stealing to prove her love. She realized her family didn't really love her, and only saw her as an accomplice. She also regretted having given up on Terry because of them. When Batman stepped in, Ten tried to stop the Gang from fighting him, but to no avail. She decided to avoid confrontation and fled the scene. Moments later, Ten saw her family being arrested. Turning Over a New Leaf Afterwards, Melanie reformed and led an honest life. She severed all ties with her family and took a job at Deckard's Kitchen. When she saw the news of Paxton Powers' abduction by her old clique, Melanie was engulfed with uneasiness. On that night, she was approached by Batman, and she denied any involvement in the ordeal, assuring him that she didn't exist for her family. Before he took off, Melanie asked him if he ever gave her note to Terry. Batman told her he got it, so Melanie disappointingly concluded that she didn't exist to him either. Later on, Melanie paid for her brother's bail and offered him an honest job at the restaurant while their parents are in jail. Background information Melanie returns in several issues of the Batman Beyond comic books, notably #23. In the story, "Family Day", Melanie finds out that her brother quit his job she offered him before and crowns himself as King of the new Royal Flush Gang. Batman and Melanie eventually stop him, with some cooperation of the previous King, and her brother was sent back to prison. Appearances * "Dead Man's Hand" * "Once Burned" * "King's Ransom" References Category:A to Z Ten Category:Future individuals Ten Category:Individuals proficient in hand-to-hand combat